Leader's Notebook

Sometimes it's just two letters that make all the difference in the world.

In reading Isaiah 53 several weeks ago, I got to verse 10 and drew a breath. "But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief;..." For some reason, I was expecting the next word to be "so." Almost like it was the Father's plan and Jesus was just going along with it, but the next two letters weren't "s-o.” Instead, they were "I-F."

Even Jesus had a choice. "IF He would render Himself as a guilt offering,.."

Yet, God is not about taking life, but giving life.

It's what comes after the IF that explains why God was pleased to let Jesus suffer. When there's an IF, it's always followed by a THEN. IF Jesus would surrender His life to the Father, THEN Jesus "will see His offspring, prolong His days and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand."

Sometimes the choice (the IF) seems so painful, but we have to remember that God is a good God and always wants what's best for us. Unfortunately though, growth (the THEN) doesn’t usually happen without pain. The choice is always ours, but so are the rewards.